Page 36 of For Business...Or Marriage?

He sighed, reached with his other hand and smoothed the hair from her forehead. “Because I don’t feel like this when I’m with her.”

A bit of giddiness crept up.

Oh, who was she kidding? A ginormous amount of giddiness bubbled up like a volcano and threatened to explode.

She’d prayed that he’d feel the same when they weren’t in bed. Emotions and feelings could sometimes get jumbled in the bedsheets.

“How do you feel?” Abby risked asking.

He searched her face. “I can’t define it. I know you love me and I know you want me to say that back—”

Abby placed a finger over his lips. “I only want you to say it if you mean it. Not out of obligation. I would rather have complete honesty.”

He covered her wrist and drew her hand away. “That’s why I find you so remarkable. You’re always giving, expecting nothing in return.”

The rest of the short trip went in silence and Abby didn’t think of work once.

Lounging on the beach after making love to the man of her ultimate dreams was definitely the kind of relaxation Abby needed.

Fantasizing about being with Cade and actually having him run his strong hands over her body as he pleasured her were on two ends of the spectrum.

She’d had no idea he’d be so attentive to her needs in bed. Honestly, her thoughts hadn’t gone that deep. For a man that was all business and take-charge with everything in his life, he’d been laid-back. Still in charge, but sensitive.

Their time together had truly been blocked out of all reality and taken to a place where just the two of them existed.

Abby stretched her arms over her head and settled even more into her lounge chair as the sun baked her tingly skin.

While Cade hadn’t professed his love to her, Abby couldn’t deny the fact he’d all but shown it to be so in his actions. He’d said he didn’t believe in love, but Abby had a feeling he may be reconsidering.

And while she couldn’t stop her hopes on that topic from soaring, she also had to keep reminding herself that Cade was always honest. He would never lie to her or betray her. If he didn’t want to be with her, he wouldn’t have been.

Abby rolled over so she could sun her back. Laying her head on the pillow she’d made with her arms, she closed her eyes and relived, for the umpteenth time, every second of her intimate moment with Cade.

What woman didn’t do that? Replaying their private moments was what kept her waiting for him to return from his business meeting. She wanted another night like the one they’d shared. And another and another.

Now that she’d had a taste of what being in Cade’s life would be like, there was no way she’d back down.

She’d put people’s needs ahead of her own for too long. Now was Abby’s time for happiness and nothing made her happier than waiting for her lover to return.

Well, that went as expected, Cade thought as he strolled through the double doors leading out to the white sandy beach.

Abby had told him she’d be suntanning all day while he was in his meeting with a real estate agent and the owner. But the meeting had only taken about two hours and Cade knew this wasn’t the right investment for Stone Enterprises.

Time to board the jet for Kauai.

But he stopped in his tracks when he saw Abby lounging in a blue-and-white beach chair with a drink in one hand and a young boy’s hand in her other. Even from a distance her laughter bubbled up and floated to him.

Jealous? No. How could he be? He was happy to know that while men may flirt with her, it was he who held her heart.

He’d had women express their love for him before, but he knew Abby’s gift of love was genuine.

But, this did open his eyes a bit more as to the woman Abby Morrison was. She could truly have any man. What guy wouldn’t want a smart, sexy, girl-next-door? No one had to tell him how fortunate he was.

He strolled up to her and discovered the boy who held on to her hand was just that, a boy.

“Abby.”

With a wide smile she turned her attention to him.

“Cade. Are you done already?”

He nodded. “I am.”

Abby turned, said something in a language he didn’t understand and the boy hurried off with one hell of a grin on his face.

“What language were you speaking?” he couldn’t help but ask.

Abby swung her legs to the side, grabbed her orange mesh tote and came to her feet. “Patois. It’s the native language.”

Baffled, Cade took a step back to allow her to pass. She walked toward the sidewalk and he found it difficult to keep up with her with his damn dress shoes on.

“Hang on.” He took hold of her elbow and stopped her. “You speak the native language in Jamaica? How on earth did you learn that?”

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